Emilia Clarke, the 37-year-old actress, who portrayed Daenerys Targaryen in the popular fantasy series, experienced a brain bleed during a gym workout in north London in 2011. Emilia Clarke chose to keep her brain injury private, not revealing it to her Game of Thrones colleagues, fearing it might raise doubts about her capabilities. In 2013, while still filming the series, she was diagnosed with a second brain hemorrhage. In a new interview with the Big Issue, Clarke shared her struggles with returning to work after her brain injury.
Clarke described how a brain injury dramatically alters one’s sense of self, significantly magnifying existing workplace insecurities. She worried about being perceived as incapable and potentially getting fired. Although she returned to work just weeks after her first brain bleed, she feared that the stress and pressure of performing in front of thousands could cause another hemorrhage.
Emilia Clarke remarked, “If I’m going to die, I better die on live TV.” After her recovery, Clarke and her mother, Jennifer Clarke, established a charity to support individuals with brain injuries. The pair were honored as MBEs earlier this year for their efforts in founding the charity SameYou. Clarke has openly discussed feeling “fragile, sensitive, and scared” following her brain injury. She was also surprised by the lack of staffing in rehabilitation services, which has since become a primary focus of her charity’s mission.
